These black cocoa sugar cookie bars are scary good! The bottom cookie layer is soft and fluffy - almost like a mix between a cookie and a cake. The black cocoa powder adds a deep, dark color and the flavor is perfectly rich and chocolaty. It's all topped off with melted chocolate and cute little ghosts!
Let me just take a second to say how obsessed I am with the cute little white chocolate ghosts on these bars and the irregular cutouts. The design idea is from the amazing Half Baked Harvest, and I think it adds the cutest little spooky factor!
what makes these black cocoa sugar cookie bars so good?
First off, the flavor. Black cocoa powder has a distinctly rich and dramatic flavor - almost like a dark chocolate bar but less bitter. So think Oreo cookies meet sugar cookies covered in chocolate.
It's also super easy to make and much quicker to put together than a roll out sugar cookie dough. No chill time, no waiting around and having to roll and reroll dough. Just whip everything up and pack into your pan to bake!
Annnnd just like with my black velvet cake recipe, the best thing about Halloween recipes is that they look better when they're messier! So it's always fun to decorate treats like these and perfect for getting the family involved.
how to make black cocoa sugar cookie bars
1. Cream together butter and sugar until fluffy.
2. Whisk eggs in one at a time, followed by vanilla.
3. Sift dry ingredients and mix to combine. If you don't want to sift the flour, that's totally fine, but black cocoa powder LOVES to clump. So it's really important to sift the cocoa powder at the very least.
I mean, look at how many clumps there were in mine!
4. Pack cookie dough into baking pan & bake. It's quite a sticky dough, so I really don't recommend using your hands. A spoon or spatula works best!
5. Cool cookie completely before topping with chocolate.
6. Melt chocolates in 2 separate bowls.
7. Decorate cookie bars! Pour the semi-sweet chocolate over the cooled cookie and spread to the edges. Dollop drops of white chocolate and drag a skewer or knife through the white chocolate to create a ghostly tail. Drop candy eyeballs on the ghosts.
8. Chill until the chocolate is set before slicing and enjoying!
no black cocoa powder?
You can swap out the black cocoa powder for an equal amount of Dutch processed cocoa - although you'll either need to add black food coloring to the sugar cookie dough or just enjoy a brownish reddish colored cookie.
Unsweetened cocoa powder makes a good last resort, but Dutch process cocoa powder is much more similar to black cocoa powder.
sugar cookie bar frosting
If you don't want to top your sugar cookie bars with melted chocolate, then here are a few other delicious topping ideas:
- Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting
- Ermine Frosting (Less Sweet Buttercream Frosting)
- Espresso Buttercream Frosting
- Chocolate Buttercream Frosting
- Vanilla Buttercream Frosting
- Or keep with the spooky theme, and borrow the black cocoa frosting from my black velvet cake recipe
storage
If you decided to top your sugar cookies off with melted chocolate or any cream cheese based frosting, then keep stored in the fridge. If you topped the sugar cookie bars with a frosting like buttercream, then you can keep them on your counter for 1 to 2 days (provided it's not too hot out). But I'd recommend keeping in the fridge either way.
If you plan on stacking the cookies, lay a piece of parchment paper between each layer and cover with plastic wrap. These cookie bars will keep for up to 1 week in the fridge.
Check out these other recipes!
• Brown Butter Snickerdoodle Cookies
• Spiced Pumpkin Truffles
• Mini Pumpkin Shaped Cookies
• Ooey Gooey Magic Bars
Spooky Black Cocoa Cookie Bars Recipe
Ingredients
For the sugar cookie dough:
- 1 cup (2 sticks / 225g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 2 cups (400g) granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 2 cups (240g) all-purpose flour, spoon and leveled
- 1 cup (80g) black cocoa powder *see notes for substitutions
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
For the chocolate topping:
- 12 ounces (2 cups / 340g) chopped semi-sweet chocolate, good quality **see notes
- 3 ounces (½ cup / 85g) white chocolate or melting wafers, good quality
- candy eyeballs
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F. Grease the bottom and sides of a 9x13 inch baking dish and line with parchment paper. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, combine butter and sugar. Using an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or a spatula by hand, cream together until well combined and fluffy.1 cup (2 sticks / 225g) unsalted butter,, 2 cups (400g) granulated sugar
- Add eggs in, one at a time, whisking well after each addition until combined. Mix in vanilla extract.2 large eggs,, 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- Sift in flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt. Fold together until you no longer see any dry streaks and everything is well combined. The dough will be quite thick and sticky.2 cups (240g) all-purpose flour,, 1 cup (80g) black cocoa powder, 1 teaspoon baking powder, ¼ teaspoon salt
- Pack the sugar cookie dough into your prepared baking dish. Bake in the center of your preheated 350°F oven for 25 to 30 minutes, or until puffed and no longer shiny on the surface. It should also feel firm and springy if you poke the center.
- Cool completely to room temperature in the pan before topping with chocolate.
- Melt your semi-sweet and white chocolate in 2 separate bowls. To melt in the microwave, place chocolates into microwave safe bowls. Heat the chocolates on high for 10 second bursts, pausing after each one to stir, until melted and smooth.To melt over a bain-marie, fill a pot with 1 inch of water, and heat on your stovetop until it's just barely simmering. Place chocolates in a heat safe bowl, and place one bowl of chocolate over the pot (making sure the bottom doesn't touch the water!) Heat, stirring occasionally, until fully melted. Repeat with the second bowl of chocolate.12 ounces (2 cups / 340g) chopped semi-sweet chocolate,, 3 ounces (½ cup / 85g) white chocolate or melting wafers,
- Pour the semi-sweet chocolate over the cooled sugar cookie and spread into an even layer. While the chocolates are still wet, add little dollops of white chocolate on top, then use a skewer or knife to drag the bottom to look like a ghost tail. Add candy eye balls.candy eyeballs
- Chill for 20 to 30 minutes in the fridge, or until the chocolate is set. Slice and serve!
Notes
Enjoy!
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